Louis CK on Being White

“Sorry I’m being so negative. I’m a bummer, I dunno… I shouldn’t be, I’m a very, er, yknow, lucky guy, I got a lot going for me. I’m healthy, I’m relatively young, yknow, I’m white, which, thank God for that shit boy. That is a huge leg up, are you kidding me? Oh God, I love being white. I really do. Seriously, if you’re not white you’re missing out because this shit is thoroughly good. But, let me be clear by the way, I’m not saying that white people are better. I’m saying that being white is clearly better, I mean who could even argue? If it was an option I would re-up every year
‘Oh yeah, I’ll take white again. I’m enjoying that, I’m gonna stick with white thank you.’

Here’s how great it is to be white; I could get in a time machine, and go to ANY time, and it would be fucking awesome when I get there! That is exclusively a white privilege! Black people can’t fuck with time machines! A black guy in a time machine’s like
‘Hey, anything before 1980, no thank you. I don’t wanna go.’
But I can go to any time! The year two? I don’t even know what was happening then! But I know when I get there

‘Welcome, we have a table right here for you sir.’
‘Thank you, oh it’s lovely here in the year two.’

I can go to any time… In the past, I don’t wanna go to the future and find out what happens to white people, because we’re gonna pay hard for this shit, you know that. (laughs) We’re not just going to fall from number one to two, they’re going to hold us down and fuck us in the ass forever. And we totally deserve it. But for now, WHEEEEEE!

You know, if you’re white and you don’t admit that it’s great, you’re an asshole. It is great.
And I’m a man, how many advantages could one person have?I’m a white man! You can’t even hurt my feelings! What can you really call a white man that really digs in?

‘Hey cracker!’
‘Uh, ruined my day. Boy. Shouldn’t have called me a cracker. Bringing me back to owning land and people. What a drag.’

Louis CK, here, identifies two things: Male Privilege and White Privilege. Normally, white men don’t realise just how easy they have it, but Louis recognises this and treads a very thin line by making a joke out of it. He notices this early on, when it could be confused as mild racism, saying ‘I’m not saying that white people are better, but being white is clearly better’.There is a very fine line being trodden here, which could spill over into ‘Much too offensive’ all too easily, but fortunately, doesn’t. This skit identifies things which people may be aware of, but also might not be. White Men tend not to have considered their fortunate position in life, and, like Bill Hicks, this joke makes you think.
Louis identifies his good fortune, but also recognises that he does not deserve it, and approaches it from an obscure angle by way of a Time Machine. Adding a level of obscurity can enhance ridiculous truths.